Tourism operators impacted by the Bhotekoshi flood have turned in an initial damage assessment and urged targeted financial assistance to rebuild hotels, restaurants and small tourism ventures in the affected zones. The Hotel Entrepreneurs Federation officially delivered the damage details and the list of affected businesses to Anjan Shrestha, President of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), along with officials of its Tourism Committee. This follows as tourism businesses across Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading and Gorkha keep grappling with the aftermath of the disaster.
Hotel Federation Files Preliminary Damage Assessment
Hotel Entrepreneurs Federation President T.R. Bhandari ‘Shankar’ met FNCCI President Anjan Shrestha and Tourism Committee officials to formally hand over the preliminary assessment and the list of hotels, small restaurants and eateries hit by the flood. The handover took place at a special meeting convened by the FNCCI Tourism Committee. Bhandari noted that while rescue work in the affected areas is finished and the state has supplied food and immediate relief, numerous small and medium-sized tourism businesses have suffered serious physical and financial harm.
As per the federation, these businesses now need long term rehabilitation to get back to their former operating capacity. The appeal follows extensive flood damage to travel establishments in several tourist areas, especially in Rasuwa and nearby districts. The federation stressed that immediate relief by itself will not be enough to revive businesses that have lost infrastructure, equipment and the ability to run normally. The damage assessment given to FNCCI aims to back further efforts to rehabilitate these businesses.
Businesses Demand an Economic Recovery Package
In the discussion, federation representatives pressed FNCCI and its Tourism Committee to advocate a special economic recovery package and grants for businesses displaced or badly hit by the flood. They further asked for government action to ease the restructuring of loans that affected businesses took from banks and financial institutions. Calls were made for interest waivers or concessions to relieve the financial strain on tourism entrepreneurs finding it hard to resume operations.
The federation stated that these financial measures are especially crucial for small and medium-sized tourism enterprises, which often do not have the resources to rebuild on their own. Restructuring loans would give affected entrepreneurs more financial breathing room as they work to restore their businesses and tourism services. The federation further demanded that assistance be tied to the actual extent of damage sustained by each individual business. These demands were put forward as part of a wider push to create a longer term recovery framework for the travel sector that was affected.
Insurance Claims And Support For Uninsured Businesses
The hotel entrepreneurs also urged the immediate settlement of insurance claims submitted by businesses that held insurance coverage. They contended that paying valid claims promptly would enable affected hotels and restaurants to start rebuilding and get back to operating. Meanwhile, the federation drew attention to the plight of small hotels and eateries in rural areas that fall outside the scope of insurance coverage.
For businesses without insurance, the federation asked for special financial assistance based on damage assessments. Numerous smaller travel establishments in rural areas have limited financial means and could find it even harder to rebuild following a major disaster. The federation thus pressed for recovery measures that cover both insured and uninsured businesses, instead of depending only on commercial insurance mechanisms. According to the federation, this kind of support would be essential for reviving tourism-related economic activity in the affected destinations.
FNCCI Pledges To Push For Rehabilitation Measures
FNCCI President Anjan Shrestha and the Tourism Committee voiced their backing for the details and demands put forward by Bhandari. They promised to work hard with the Government of Nepal and Nepal Rastra Bank to rehabilitate flood affected tourism businesses, settle insurance claims and provide financial concessions. This commitment positions the private sector umbrella body to advocate for measures designed to help affected tourism entrepreneurs get back to normal operations.
The most recent initiative represents a move away from immediate disaster response and toward the long term recovery of tourism businesses in areas hit by the floods. Although rescue and emergency relief efforts have already taken place, the federation has emphasized that rebuilding damaged tourism enterprises will demand ongoing financial and institutional backing. These requested measures are meant to assist hotels, restaurants and small eateries in restoring their businesses and to support the revival of tourism activity in the affected destinations.
